Knowledge
by Christine Ruud
Summary: Cole knows Phoebe's a witch. Cole knows Phoebe doesn't know he's a demon. Phoebe doesn't know Cole knows she's a witch. Phoebe doesn't know Cole's a demon. Confusing? Oh yes.
1. Priorities

_**Priorities**_

_A/N: Just a little glimpse into a normal day with the Charmed Ones and Belthazor. It takes place during the time between "All Halliwell's Eve" and "Sight Unseen." Enjoy (please)! _

Cole Turner's to-do list was quite short today. All he had to do was pick up his black suit from the dry cleaners, drive past the station to have a few words with Inspector Morris, and "just happen to drop by" Phoebe Halliwell's house. Deciding the shirts and Morris could wait, he decided to deal with Phoebe first.

Outside the Manor, he adjusted his tie and knocked on the door.

There was a crash, and an annoyed groan. "Tell whoever it is to go away!"

"That'd be Piper," he murmured.

"Have" (slam) "Phoebe get--oh no you don't!" Crash.

"Prue, we just got that fixed," Piper moaned.

"It stopped him, didn't it?"

Cole knocked on the door again. "Phoebe?" he called, hoping his voice hit just the right notes of confusion and concern. "Are you all right?"

"Who is that? Is that _Cole_?" asked Piper. "What's he doing here?"

"Outta the way, outta the way." The door opened just a crack and Phoebe laughed nervously. "Cole! What're you doing all the way over here?"

"I just dropped by to see if you'd like to go to lunch. Is...is everything okay in there?"

"In there? Oh yeah. Peachy dandy."

"I thought I heard-"

"Our cat just...went crazy in there," explained Phoebe. "You know how tempermental they get. So. Lunch. Let's go!"

She eased her way onto the step, careful not to open the door any more than she had to. Cole extended his arm, and the two walked down the steps.

Inside the Manor, Prue and Piper looked at each other.

"We're fighting a demon and she gets to go on a lunch date?" Prue said. "Okay, remind me to have a discusion about priorities with her tonight."

"She can't fight it, Prue," said Piper, leaning against the banister. "She's in love."

"Remind me to have a discussion with her about that too."

_A/N: Anyway, this is more randomness from moi. It sort of came out without me having to really even think about it. _


	2. Questions

**_Questions_**

Lunch at Persephone's, the little Greek hole-in-the-wall, was the perfect spot to take a date. That was what bugged Phoebe about it.

_All right, _she said to herself, examining Cole. _Is this a friend thing? Is this an "I like you" thing? Is this just an "I didn't want to eat alone" today thing? Or is this an "I'm gonna play mind games with you for my own entertainment" thing?_

Just as she'd screwed up her courage, Cole's pager beeped. He glanced at it and sighed. "Duty calls. I'm already twenty minutes over my lunch break.

"Oh." Phoebe nodded. That was all that she could say. "Oh."

"I'll get the check and then I'll drop you off on the way to the station."

"Don't go out of your way." Phoebe stood up. "I'm gonna take the bus."

"Phoebe-"

"Don't 'Phoebe' me."

"What's wrong?"

Phoebe gave the handsome district attorney an irrated glance. "You should know."

"Phoebe, I really don't."

"Then you..." Phoebe stopped before should could finish her sentence with _must be a complete idiot_. Even though she was slightly annoyed with Cole, there was no way she could unleash her wrath on him. There was no way to tell if it would improve things between them or worsen them incredibly, and she didn't want to take that chance. "Then it's nothing," she finished. "Maybe you should get back to work."

**XXX**

"Look who it is!" Piper said as Phoebe shut the door to the Halliwell Manor. "The little abandoner, home to roost."

Phoebe winced. "Sorry."

"Now I can tell Prue that I yelled at you so she doesn't have to."

"Thank you."

The aforementioned sister stopped on the landing of the steps, the Book of Shadows in her arms. "Phoebe."

"She's been properly chastised, feels horrible, and won't do it again." Piper winked at Phoebe. "So there is no need for a lecture."

Prue looked somewhat deflated. "How was Cole?"

"He was fine." And for all Phoebe knew, he was. Maybe he was madly in love with her right now and just trying to find the right way to put it.

"Only fine?"

"Yeah."

The phone jangled. Prue was the first one to it, answering with "What is it?"

Piper shot her a glare. "That could be somebody about the club."

"It's not." Prue handed the phone to Phoebe. "It's Cole. I checked Caller ID first."

Phoebe gulped. "Hello?"

"Phoebe, I..." Cole's voice faded through the phone line. 'I don't think we left on a good note this afternoon."

"No," agreed Phoebe. "We didn't."

"I would like to make it up to you. Could we have dinner sometime?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I guess."

"How's tomorrow at seven?"

"Works for me."

"See you then."

Phoebe hung up and stared at the phone. "I cannot figure that guy out."

_A/N: It certainly has been awhile since I updated this, but I was struck with something. I do love early Cole/Phoebe, don't you?_

_(Actually, if we're going for truthfulness, I love ANY Cole/Phoebe. Any POSITIVE Cole/Phoebe, I should say.)_


End file.
